Stolen monument turns up in Lanner (From Falmouth Packet)

Stolen monument turns up in Lanner

12:25pm Thursday 7th August 2008 in News

A section of a historic fountain stolen from a Cornish country park during a late night raid may have been found in Lanner.

It appears a heavy granite fountain section was bought by a local man who only realised it could have been stolen from the Mount Edgecumbe country park in South East Cornwall when his wife saw ia report on the television news.

Local resident Eddie Richards telephoned the Packet this morning and said: "The fountain was first offered for sale to my friend Robbie "Greengrass" Moyse.”

He had been approached by a man asking whether he would be interested in buying a "bird table" which was sitting in the back of a pick up truck.

The sale was not agreed but the “bird table” was sold to someone else nearby.

Mr Richards said the resident, who has not been named was at home with his wife when she asked about the bird table having seen the news report.

Police arrived in the village this morning to take pictures which have since been sent to Mount Edgecumbe to help confirm identity of the “bird table”.

Police confirmed they received a tip off that the fountain was in Lanner on Monday, although no arrests had been made.

The upper section of the granite fountain which sat at an entrance of Mount Edgcumbe Park was stolen between July 27 and July 29.

The fountain stopped working several years ago due to corrosion of the pipes and due to be collected by a local craftsman and restored.

Mount Edgcumbe is the former home of the Earls of Mount Edgcumbe and is set in 865 acres on the Rame Peninsula.